Category Archives: Accidents and Injuries in the News

Boating accidents in Nevada are unfortunately not uncommon. From the stunning vistas of Lake Tahoe to the party destination of Lake Mead, and everywhere in between, there is plenty of opportunity to be injured by a boat in Nevada. If no two car accident in Nevada are alike, no two boating accidents are, either. Sometimes they can be pretty straightforward, for sure. A boats pilot or captain not paying attention or obeying wake (speed) limits or right of ways, a drunk person operating a boat, etc. Then there are the more complicated ones, like a recent one in Lake Tahoe. Somehow a woman suffered serious injuries when her legs became entangled in the boat’s propellers. The woman was said to be in the midst of a fun outing, being pulled behind the boat on a tube, when the incident occurred. According to reports, she was in the process of climbing out of the water and onto the boat when somehow she got into the propellers. There was also reportedly some problems with the calls for help where search and rescue operations did not know where to find the woman and the boat and people she was with. She was not conscious, according to the first responders, when they arrived. However, they took her via Medivac helicopter to a hospital in Reno, and she was alive but still in a “serious” condition.

With Lake Mead’s proximity to Las Vegas, the area also has its share of boating accidents. Boat Safety is always an issue that often times is ignored. In addition, boating accidents occur quite frequently in the summer months. Many boaters die not only from carelessness, but reckless drunk driving and other boaters not paying attention.

Liability is usually easy to prove with boat accidents, but insurance coverage seems to be the biggest issue. Boat and watercraft coverage is becoming increasingly more difficult to obtain. Boats that run aground or malfunction can cause horrific damages. It is important that your attorney look into all avenues of recovery including the United States National Park Service. Contact Benson & Bingham for a free consultation if you’re injured in a boating accident in Nevada. Our top watercraft attorneys know the ins and outs of water law, which can be tricky. Benson & Bingham will explain your legal rights, and then it’s up to you – our initial consultation is free and is no obligation.

Seat belts save lives in vehicle accidents in Nevada, and everywhere else. We all know this is true in the abstract, but recent news is really bringing it home for us. In a Reno car crash yesterday, a sergeant with the Reno Police Department is crediting proper child car seat installation and usage with keeping two children safe in a Northern Nevada vehicle accident that otherwise might have seriously injured or killed the two little ones. The accident left the vehicle the children were riding in completely totaled, yet the two youngsters were said to be uninjured. One child is only two weeks old, and the other just one year old – ages where children are incredibly easy to injure or worse in an accident serious enough to do significant damage to a vehicle. From a recent news story on the Nevada t-bone car crash:

“Police say a purple sedan failed to yield to oncoming traffic and got t-boned by a pickup truck. To make matters worse, the car had a two week old and a one year old in the back seat. Both of them were uninjured.

‘Ultimately, the majority of (their safety) I would attribute to the car seats themselves,’ said [Reno Police Sgt. Craig] Titterington.”

Benson & Bingham’s experienced Nevada t-bone vehicle crash attorneys help people who are injured in accidents like this. We understand the legal and medical issues that can arise from this kind of accident, and know how to help. See important information below, and then contact Benson & Bingham for a free consultation if you’ve been a victim of a t-bone car accident in Nevada.

“Injuries from car accidents caused by an angle approach are very telling by the location of such pain. Left sided impacts naturally may have left sided trauma and vice-versa. Often the force of the impact causes the body to move in the opposite direction of the hit. Thus, a right side impact will cause the body to, at first, go right with body extremities going the opposite direction given the forward momentum they had prior to and during the impact. The twisting and turning of the body joints cause major core injuries around the muscular skeletal system. T-bone accidents typically involve two vehicles or more that are traveling a moderate to fast speeds, and the injuries can be deadly. No reaction by either driver is completed given the emergent crash. Thus, we refer to these accidents as the “unexpected” crash scenarios.”

A very bad vehicle accident happened this morning just outside of Hawthorne. This Northern Nevada vehicle accident took place on Interstate 95 to the north of Hawthorne, to be precise. One individual died as a result of the accident. Additionally, four people were injured in serious conditions as they were thrown from the vehicle in the crash. These individuals were, per the Nevada Highway Patrol, taken to Reno via airlift from a helicopter. The wreck closed the entire highway for time. The freeway was then reopened at a later point but with the southbound lane completely closed and the northbound lane having to cover the traffic from both directions with Nevada Highway Patrol supervising the area and the switches.

From a news report on the Northern Nevada fatal car accident, we know the following:

“The silver Toyota Sienna was registered in Washington state and had two Washington passengers and four from Germany, Dauber said. For a reason still being determined it rolled as it headed south on U.S. 95 just south of Walker lake, Dauber said. At least five were ejected, Dauber said.

The one person who died on scene was from Germany. Four others have serious injuries and were initially taken to Mt. Grant Hospital in Hawthorne.

Because of weather problems Care Flight had difficulty getting to Hawthorne so arrangements were being made to take them on a military helicopter, Dauber said.”

This sounds like a terrible case of someone being killed on vacation in Nevada. That type of occurrence happens with unfortunate regularity. We’ve seen in the news recently the joy ride plane excursion that ended in death for one bachelor party guest and the pilot of the plane. Vehicle accidents and pedestrian accidents in Nevada are also common ways for out of town visitors to meet tragic ends.

Benson & Bingham Attorneys at Law handle vacation death cases and all types of personal injury and wrongful death matters across Nevada. Our skilled attorneys know the law, and more importantly, know how to get the best resolution possible for your case. Benson & Bingham offer free initial consultations because we know that someone facing significant medical bills and injury does not want to worry about the cost to see if there is a case for them to pursue. We’ll walk you through your options, and represent you in a legal claim if that is the best course of action.

Snow does not automatically mean accident. That’s always an important thing to remember if you’ve been injured in a car crash in Northern Nevada on icy roads: negligence is still negligence. If another driver was driving too fast and caused you to be injured, the snow and ice doesn’t zero out the fault of the other driver. All driving manuals, insurance policies, traffic laws, and case law say you should drive an appropriate speed for the conditions.

Now, every traffic accident is different. But there are some general rules of thumb that people go by to say it’s likely one party or the another caused a Nevada traffic accident. Generally, it is the fault of the person driving the rear most vehicle. That’s a pretty standard one, though, like anything, not always the case. Snow driving is no different. If the car in front of you loses control and their ensuing accident causes you to get in an accident, for example, could certainly not be your fault even though you’re in the rear vehicle in the wreck. A multi-vehicle accident in Nevada is even more complicated, with chains of fault and negligence, with the potential for almost as many individuals with part responsibility as there are accidents on the freeway.

No matter what, you need a good Nevada attorney to help you sort out the position you’re in following an accident. Benson & Bingham’s top Nevada attorneys handle accident in Las Vegas and Reno, and everything in between, and offer free initial consultations so you can come learn your legal rights and options without any risk or pressure. We’ll explain your position to you in plain English. If you have a claim to file and lawsuit or settlement to pursue, Benson & Bingham will represent you as only experienced Nevada attorneys can.

Massive chain reaction pileups like this are not infrequently the case on days like today in Reno which saw a massive 25 vehicle accident in the blizzardy conditions heading up toward the pass right around the California state line. In part due to the accident and in part due to the weather.

Car accidents in Reno, and those who want to avoid the bill for an accident in which they were at fault, have a new enemy, The Reno Police Department, thanks to a significant grant and the machinery it funded. The Nevada Office of Traffic Safety awarded the Reno Police Department $65,000 to help fund the purchase of a three dimensional imaging system that is used to help investigate car accidents and reconstruct the scene, and therefore, negligence and culpability. The Major Accident Investigation Team of the Reno Police Department will be the keepers of the system, which is used to take the place of time consuming and potentially faulty measurements and diagrams that are typically made by hand. This human made measurement and documentation system – let’s call it the “old school” way – has, or had, in the case of Reno, all kinds of drawbacks. For starters, it was terribly time consuming. If an accident had closed all or part of a roadway, that meant an even longer period of traffic and headache due to the investigation. By that same token, that manual old school method took man hours that could have otherwise been spent of other more pressing police work, like patrolling areas to cut down on crime, or time spent investigating other and possibly more serious crimes. Then there’s the high-tech aspect of it, that creates three dimensional imaging, high precision measurements, and other fancy shmancy calculations which can make accident investigation more accurate and useful for police and regular citizens alike.

Benson & Bingham Attorneys at Law cover Las Vegas and Reno vehicle accidents, and we know all about this equipment, and any other accident investigation tool you can think it. Did the above sound like a promo for the technology? Well, perhaps it was a little tongue in cheek. Technology is only as good as the human operating it. That being said, the equipment, from FARO Technologies, is at least a Nevada company so we’re proud of our state for producing high tech options for accident investigation. However, nothing is flawless, regardless of human error. A good Nevada vehicle accident attorney knows when technology is the right way to bolster your claim, and when it’s not. If you’ve been injured in a Reno or Las Vegas car crash, Benson & Bingham’s attorneys should be your choice for legal counsel. Contact us today for a free consultation to see us in action – we’re confident you’ll make the best decision for you and your situation.

A significant Reno snowfall has resulted in at least 14 automobile accidents that resulted in injury and property damage. The majority of accidents happened at the interchange of the 395 and 80 highways, commonly known to locals as the Spaghetti Bowl, due to the long curved nature of the highways’ four off ramps. Interstate 80 heading both West and East were the location of many of the accidents. One of the larger Reno automobile accidents happened at approximately 7:40 a.m. on lanes headed West near the exit to Reno’s Wells Ave. Another Washoe County car crash was reported minutes later, at 8:00 a.m.That accident happened near Sparks’ Nugget Casino.

Additional Sparks vehicle collisions happened on surface streets. Police were investigating accidents at late as 10:00 a.m. on Monday, December 28th. Those accidents that were being investigated until late hours included one at Greg St. and Marietta Wy and Los Altos Pkwy and Vista Blvd. No injuries had been reported in the early morning accidents in Reno and Sparks even though many highly trafficked roads like Spaks Blvd and Vista Blvd, all in the immediate vicinity of Prater Way were reported to have road conditions resembling a skating rink. Polce had not included in their tally minor fender benders or when motorists had slid off the road onto embankments. Forecasters have announced that snow is expected to clear by tomorrow.

While snow is not forecast to hit again until Tuesday or Wednesday next week, drivers are urged to take precautions to ensure they stay safe in the snow. If you have a car with rear wheel drive or is prone to slipping, it is always wise to have something heavy in the cars back area like a bag of sand or concrete. If that is not possible, a full tank of gas will also add weight to the vehicle.Chains are important to have on hand in case roads become too slippery to travel on with regular tires. Another good tool to have in the car is sheets of cardboard, with the cardboard, a stranded motorist can slip it under tires to gain additional traction when at a complete stop and wheels are spinning. Another precaution to take is to have a blanket, gloves, hats and an extra coat in the car in case you need to spend a prolonged time in your vehicle waiting for help.

Northern Nevada has been in a significant drought for the past few years. Over that time, Northern Nevada drivers were not experiencing the winter weather driving that they had practiced for years. Now that the weather has been back to traditional patterns there have been weekly snow falls and local drivers are having more Reno automobile accidents. Nevadans are having to adjust schedules for travels to work and even when picking up friends and family at the airport. Road crews in Northern Nevada are working extra hours to ensure that roads are safe and clear. The crews are also laying down gravel to improve traction and ice to increase melting of snow and ice that is on roads. The fortunate for Northern Nevada drivers is that snow accumulation tends to melt quickly and not spend more than a couple days on the roads.

Many roads in and out of Reno can be extremely treacherous when the weather is bad. Often when snow hits the Sierra Mountains the Nevada and California Highway authorities often require motorists to use chains or snow tires to increase traction and reduce the number of Washoe County car crashes. Other highways that can be dangerous when there is snowfall are the Mount Rose Hwy and the former 395 highway between Reno and Carson City. When snowfall hits the region, the people who run plows, sand and salt trucks can run for 12 even 18 hours. At times in the most elevated areas of the Sierras can see 12” to 18” in the snow over a 12 to 24 hour period.

Reno attempts to provide safe access to its roads in a manner that is safe for the environment. Reno has over 2,200 miles of roads which must be plowed. There are 19 routes that trucks follow for ice and snow removal. When the city of Reno puts gravel on the road it is typically mixed with salt. For applying salt to the road, the city uses a salt and water mixture that some refer to as brine. Since bridges tend to ice over the city of Reno tends to focus on providing adequate salt and snow removal on them.

If there has been a Northern Nevada vehicle collision that damaged your automobile or other property or hurt you or killed a member of your family, the Nevada licensed personal injury attorneys at Benson and Bingham can help you recover money for automobile repairs, hospital bills, lost work and more.

As the pedestrian death toll rises across Nevada, politicians citizens, pedestrians and NDOT employees are looking for ways to increase pedestrian safety across the state. Northern Nevadans are asking the state and local politicians and transit officials to improve the pedestrian infrastructure around a very busy intersection. To reduce the number of Reno automobile accidents involving pedestrians, people are requesting that the intersection of Talus Wy and North Virginia St. UNR Reno is in the immediate vicinity of this busy pedestrian intersection. The Department of Transportation has plans to improve the intersection in 2016 in their effort to reduce Washoe County car crashes that involve people who walk across the street.

NDOT, the Silver State’s transportation agency, plans to change the location of the intersection’s crosswalks. The crosswalks will now be closer to the bus stop that is also in the area. The transportation agency is also installing additional signals to alert drivers when someone is crossing North Virginia Ave. The agency will also improve streetlights in the area, which will enable those behind the wheel to see people walking on the street whether they are wearing bright or dark clothing. Finally, the agency is installing a median in the center of the road, thus enabling pedestrians crossing the street to take a break and not have to cross all four lanes of N. Virginia. The state agency has a budget of $10 million to improve roads and crosswalks in both Clark and Washoe Counties. These funds are from the state budget. The improvements to the intersection will be completed next fall and will start in summer 2016. The transportation department has a number of projects that are being worked on to reduce Northern Nevada vehicle collisions. On Interstate 580. the agency will pay a Reno construction company $12.1 million to improve the highway’s infrastructure including replacing old concrete, resurfacing the highway and improve the ability for the highway’s bridges to withstand an earthquake. The agency is also funding an extension of the freeway in Carson City. In Incline Village, the state agency is improving pedestrian access. Crosswalks on State Route 28 are getting new signs to alert motorists of people crossing the street. New streetlights are being installed and ramps are being added to sidewalks. The project is also adding dedicated lanes to turn left on State Route 28 and is also adding left turn signals to the stoplights to make turns easier for those driving.

In Reno, Stead Blvd is the locale of many accidents, there is also a school on Stead Blvd. in Reno. The road’s four lanes, heavy traffic, high amount of North Valley automobile accidents has parents concerned for the safety of the children walking to school. Stead Blvd. has a large number of commercial vehicles that travel on. While the school zone should slow drivers down, many drivers on busy Stead Blvd. do not slow down. The high amount of traffic could cause a Reno car crash where a student headed to the school is seriously injured or even worse. Local parents believe Stead Blvd. should have more crosswalks to make it easier for children on their way to school to cross the street.

While there have been two deadly Washoe County vehicle collisions on the road in 2015. In 2015, there have also been 29 vehicle accidents on Stead. Half of those accidents occurred at the intersection of Stead Blvd. and Silver Lake Rd., which is the intersection where the school is located. One person has died in an accident at the intersection. about 66% of the accidents happened while school is in session. Weather was not a factor in the accidents as there was no noted rain or snow on the days of the crashes. Many drivers were ticketed for driving infractions after the crashes and most of those tickets were for tailgating or not yielding to other drivers. No children were hurt in any of the accidents in the past year, however.

The Washoe County school district works closely with regional transportation bodies to ensure the roads around Washoe schools are safe for children. The school district also receives input from parents and works with local authorities to improve roads around schools when needed. In front of elementary school there is a pedestrian crosswalk that has crossing lights that are lit when activated by touch.

Benson and Bingham is a Las Vegas personal injury firm that is family owned. Our firm was founded by cousins Benjamin Bingham and Joseph Benson. We also offer services in Northern Nevada. If you would like to set up a free legal consultation with one of our attorneys, please go to NV-Attorney.com or call us at 702-382-9797. We can help your finances recover from an accident that wasn’t your fault and be reimbursed for lost work, pain and suffering, hospital bills and more.

For teens, one of the most anticipated rites of passage is getting a driver’s license. Many teens and parents alike are often shocked by the high price of insuring those teens to drive family vehicles. By emphasizing road safety, thus limiting Reno automobile accidents caused by teens, new drivers and their parents can bring down the price of the insurance and save lives! Teenage drivers cause a significant amount of Washoe County car crashes and accidents are the leading killer of teenagers. Across the nation, in 2013, teenage drivers were involved in over 2600 deadly automobile accidents. In the Silver State, over four years, teenagers were responsible for sending over 2200 people to the emergency room.

Cell phone use while driving is suspected of being one of the leading factors in teenage vehicle collisions in Northern Nevada. Since texting and using a mobile while behind the wheel is more common with teenagers than with other drivers, the penalties for using a cell phone while behind the wheel are significant. If your teen is given a citation for texting while driving, his or her insurance premium can rise significantly – since the Silver State enables insurance company to base premiums on citations for mobile use.

By being cautious and working to not be involved in an accident, teens can bring down their insurance premiums. If a student is getting good grades in school, often automobile insurance companies will give the family a discount on the teen’s premium. A teen with good grades has shown the capacity to concentrate while in class and insurance companies believe that capacity will translate to the ability to concentrate behind the wheel. Another way to reduce the insurance premium associated with your teen is to have them take a safe driving course. The certification for this course can result in a discounted insurance premium. Using a mobile phone while behind the wheel of your car is illegal and has been since January 1, 2012. For the first offense of using a cell phone while driving, expect to pay a fine of $50. The 2nd offense is $250 (and all subsequent citations for using a cell phone while driving). If you are in a construction zone while you are using your cell phone, your fine will be doubled. First offenses for cell phone use while driving are not marked as moving violations, however, all additional offenses are considered moving violations and those tickets will cause four points on your license.